Search - Jethro Tull: Live at Montreux 2003 [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

Like being there

Matthew Bush | Seattle, WA United States | 08/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I personally preferred Tull's performances 35 years ago during the Thick as a Brick era when the band was ferocious and the stage act was way over the top. Really, there wasn't a better live rock band than the early 70's Jethros.

Jump to Montreux 2003 and you have a much kinder and gentler group that spends the first half of the concert on some pretty cheesy Christmas-meets-new-age instrumental meanderings, with a few gems thrown in.

The second half sounds a lot more like the Tull we grew up with, unleashing the heavy riffage on songs like Nothing is Easy, My God and Locomotive Breath. Martin Barre is one of rock's greatest unknown guitarists, and his playing here is first rate as always, and Ian still makes the flute sound like it was invented to drive a rock band.

Both video and audio quality are superb... too bad DVD technology wasn't around 35 years ago... but this Montreux performance may be the next best thing."

Fantastic video of Tull onstage in '03

bass boy | Arkansas | 09/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jethro Tull is one such act where the same kind of break-neck energy found within the tattered fringes of punk rock co-exists inside virtuoso instrumentation and arrangements. Singer-flautist-co-founder Ian Anderson loves the art of adding several notes of flute and voice at the drop of a sage's hat, and his tendency for ad-libbing can seen and heard on the new DVD, "Jethro Tull -- Live at Montreux 2003," released by Eagle Rock Entertainment.
"Jethro Tull music has always retained a degree of improvisation," the 60-year-old Anderson told me on the telephone recently. "Even structured music has space for improvisation. All members of the band have an opportunity to change notes, and that's always fun."
Led by Anderson and longtime guitarist Martin Barre, Tull sounds tremendous throughout the new DVD, which will shoot shivers of excitement through the faithful and uninitiated alike, both with acoustic numbers and electric guitar-driven tracks.
Anderson selected a near-perfect set list for the new live DVD. It shows the way he and Tull inject adrenaline and inspiration into 19 of their most beloved tracks on the new DVD, which also is available as a double-compact disc set. As the DVD plays, it's little surprising that "Living in the Past," "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," "Empty Cafe" and "Life is a Long Song" sound so relevant and feisty, even though the bulk of the video's tracks were first recorded in the late 1960s and 1970s. Bassist Jonathan Noyce, drummer Doane Perry and keyboardist Andrew Giddings round out the quintet as Anderson rotates between flute and acoustic guitar.
"I try to be inventive with time signatures when writing, and there's new pieces of music that tests the limits of the musicians, which is exciting," Anderson told me. "I'm just grateful for people to give us something of a chance live, and to want to see a one-legged flute player."
Equipped with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in all of rock music, the song "Aqualung" builds in intensity and the punchy "Fat Man" is ironic without ever being too aware of itself. Yet it's the quieter moments on the DVD, particularly the perfect, should-have-been-a-No.1-hit "Budapest" and the holiday-themed "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Bouree (Version de Noel)," that hit the deepest. Framed by Anderson's acoustic, appropriately crystal-like guitar playing, "Budapest" is a prime example of how Tull weaves classical influences into blues, folk and Mediterranean sounds. The track originally appeared on Tull's 1987 album, "Crest of a Knave," which edged past the gamblers' favorite, Metallica's "... And Justice for All," to win the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album Award in 1988.
Check out this DVD. They might not play with quite the fire they had in 1972, but they have a lot of energy and class left in them."

The Best Live Tull DVD Released Yet!

David J. Koukol | Massachusetts, USA | 08/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of Jethro Tull for 28 years, and have literally grown up with their music. Even after seeing them in concert numerous times, I have always thought how great it would be to have "a concert" to take home with me (visuals and all). This DVD fulfills that desire in a way not quite accomplished by previous Tull DVDs, which intercut interviews or special effects into the flow of the concert itself, which rather disrupted the atmosphere in places.

This disc is the concert from start to finish, very well filmed and recorded, with a superb performance from the group. I personally think that Jethro Tull continue to grow and explore new musical territory under the leadership of Ian Anderson, and this concert expertly blends all the group's styles and influences, from rock to folk to jazz to new age and blues and back again... Tull have always been hard to categorize, but there is something for everyone in the group's diverse fanbase to cherish here.

Everyone in the group gets a chance to shine, with Ian Anderson's flute playing well to the fore and sounding better than ever. It's also nice to see Martin Barre perform his acoustic instrumental "Empty Cafe," a little gem not available on DVD before.

I would recommend this to committed fans as well as to people unfamiliar with the group; it's a great introduction to the multi-faceted Jethro Tull."

Great Performance dvd

T. L. Johnson | Colorado | 08/27/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is Tull's best dvd effort. Superb audio and video, in my opinion. Ian Anderson may be the most under-rated rock icon out there. He is tops in my book (even when he says some off-color things.....which he always does). I'd love to sit in a living room with Ian for a couple of hours and talk. I bet he's got stories and insights that would keep you totally captivated. Also, it was wonderful that Tull included a song from the old "Benefit" album. "Benefit" is a great, and yet, over-looked masterpiece."